


Two Sides of the Same Coin

by NervousBeans



Series: Role Swap SMP [1]
Category: Minecraft (Video Game), Video Blogging RPF
Genre: Alternate universe meets original universe, Alternate!Dream, Alternate!Ranboo, Alternate!Wilbur, Angst, Dreamon Clay | Dream (Video Blogging RPF), Dribbles of it here and there, Enderman Hybrid Ranboo (Video Blogging RPF), Moobloom Hybrid Tubbo, No Michael yet, Not original Wilbur (yet), Role!Swap universe, Sorry platonic husbands, Winged TommyInnit (Video Blogging RPF)
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-03-04
Updated: 2021-03-12
Packaged: 2021-03-17 20:08:59
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 5,592
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29846850
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/NervousBeans/pseuds/NervousBeans
Summary: Every person has potential, a blank coin waiting to be carved and molded into their fate. Take, for example, yourself. You know your own actions were influenced by the past, and by your surroundings.So what happens if the two sides of the same coins meet? Two extremes in the multiverse that is the self.(Aka: Role!Swap SMP members meet original SMP members. Warning: This is heavily non-canon compliant for a while and chock full of headcanons)
Series: Role Swap SMP [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2194302
Comments: 5
Kudos: 119





	1. Heads

**Author's Note:**

> You flip a coin twice
> 
> At first: It lands on Heads

Time was stupid. 

That was what Tommy had decided, his back pressed against the cold, dripping obsidian of the box inside Pandora’s Vault. Liquid dripped down, splashing his fingers and dripping down his face, a mocking of sorts that the dually named Crying Obsidian had wrought. His wings wrapped tightly around his body in a sort of blanket.   
  
Here he sat, across the room from his arch-enemy. The so-called “admin” of the Dream SMP was grinning all too mockingly at Tommy. Ever since the two had been locked into the cell together, Dream had grown much cockier than he had been in the previous times that Tommy had visited the prison.    
  
The pale figure’s chains rattled against the ground, the shackles creating echoing noises throughout the silent room. “Well,” the silver-tongued monster stumbled out, “It seems that Sam might’ve forgotten about you, Tommy. All done with your yelling for today?”   
  
Tommy’s throat hurt. He had been yelling every day, from the moment he woke up, for Sam to come and release him from the cell, from being trapped with this monster. His hands nervously gripped at his pants, thoughts wandering in every attempt to avoid any sort of discussion with the manipulative monster who sat grinning before him. 

He thought about his friends, the ones who had always stayed with him. Tubbo and, even for a fleeting moment, Ranboo. They were laughing in his head, at something he had said, and that made him smile longingly. Oh how he wished he could be wherever they were, making stupid jokes and preparing for the Grand Opening of his Hotel.    
  
Sam Nook briefly flitted through his head, before bile rose in his throat and he wished to yell for Sam once more. Instead, he shook his head, looking back on his decisions that lead up until now. His fingers snapped inwards, fists clenched and nails digging into his palms.    
  
He thought back on the wars, L’Manburg and the hope that it had signified for everyone involved. The stupid house he had flamed with Ranboo that had sparked the downfall of himself, and of the discs that had started everything. 

His mind wandered back to people. People like Technoblade, who he had severed his close knit connection with forever, and Phil, who followed after Technoblade as a companion to the lonely piglin. Just as his mind was about to wander to Wilbur, he stopped, a sickening sense filling his entire being. 

A disgusting sense of vertigo mixed with Deja Vu filled his senses and his head whipped to Dream, who seemed to be plagued with the same feeling. The man shook his head, choking out a small, “This isn’t me.”

How could it not have been Dream, who owned the server and knew every in and out of it? His thoughts were cut short as a blanket of darkness coated his vision, warmth flooding through his entire body. It was a stark difference from the cold of the box. 

For a few moments, his body felt suspended and lightweight. He could feel his wings extended to their full reach, his talons flexed in a comfortable way. Then his body fell, and it flushed a sense of fear within him.    
  
The ground collided harshly with his bottom and he was shaken awake with a jolting line of swears flowing from his lips. He hissed and rubbed the base of his spine, trying to dismiss the discomfort. Quickly, he fluttered his wings and allowed for his eyes to adjust to the area. 

It was considerably bright, but it most definitely wasn’t flat. The area was a nice, hilly field covered with flowers, tall and blooming. Cliffs shot up within the area, but the horizon just seemed to be a bright light. There was no sky either, just more of the light. 

To his left, he could hear the familiar whistling winds of a ravine, but ignored it in favor of turning around. Once he did, he regretted it immediately.    
  
As he turned, he was met face to face with an all too familiar porcelain mask. This one had a black, blank smile on it and the figure it was attached to was wearing a blue cloak, lined with fluffy white fur.    
  
None of that registered in Tommy’s head though, because instead of having any rational thought towards the figure before him, he screamed. And in return, the figure screamed back.


	2. Tails

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> You flip a coin for the second time
> 
> This time its: Tails

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Who's the frowny figure at the end of the last chapter? Let's learn

Fate was a bitch. 

Wind whipped around Dream, blowing his cloak upwards as he stared towards the two figures on the hill. He should’ve concluded this long ago, but fate was an absolute bitch. Loneliness flooded through his veins as he thought of the battle he was about to engage in.

For a moment, he thought of the original tyrants of the server. The Sleepy SMP had originally been ruled by  _ the _ Sleepy Bois Inc., or had it? Maybe these two had been pulling the strings from the beginning. 

The taller of the two figures leaned down, a blank expression on his face as he taunted the point of his obsession for the past weeks, “Oh dear, is Dream finally gaining some backbone for once? Tubbo, does the man who’s been blind to his actions for the past weeks actually have the guts to confront us for once?” His body moved in such an animated manner that sometimes Dream swore the man was ripped from a fighting game.    
  
His compatriot buzzed a bit, the tail that sat behind him lashing back and forth. Tubbo sent Dream a cruel smile, a little too happy to be facing the man, “Ranboo, it seems that’s true. Didn’t Phil warn us this could happen if we kept our strings too loose? It seems we should’ve listened to the old man more, what a shame.” 

Ranboo’s dual tails whipped back and forth as the man’s whole body bounced to an invisible beat. He reached carefully for the dual axes that were sheathed on his belt before twirling one and pointing it towards Dream, “Well then, let’s see your moves, Dream. Can you take on both of us by yourself?”    
  
Before Dream could retort, a bright flash flared within his vision. When the light receded, a multi-colored portal that he could recognize was in the middle of the area. His throat felt sick, he knew who that portal belonged to. Someone on the side of the Sleepy Bois. 

What he expected was the scarred, time-torn face of the Karl Jacobs he knew. Instead, he got a clear-faced, curious Karl who had a pair of goggles decorating his vision. He still wore the same old multi-colored hoodie on, green swirl mocking him from the front. The man slowly removed the goggles from his head, placing them against his forehead.

Dream and everyone else watched in anticipation as the man breathed out, a small smile gracing his face before something hit him. Karl’s eyes met Dream’s and in that moment, Dream knew something was terribly wrong. This was not the Karl Jacobs that Dream had nightmares about. 

His voice was airy, still had hope intertwined with it, “This...is not my home is it?” Curious eyes glanced towards Dream who shook his head. Karl breathed out once more, “Where, um, is this?”

Dream huffed slightly, a bit gleeful that Karl interrupted what was going to occur, “The Sleepy Bois SMP. Who are you?” He watched in horror as fear shot itself through Karl as the man seemed to take in who exactly had just spoken to him.   
  
“S-Sleepy Bois? I’m..” his voice trailed off as Karl tried to figure out exactly where he was. Then, he snapped his fingers and looked towards his portal, “In an alternate universe.” With a snap of his head, Dream looked towards this, alternate Karl. 

He sounded insane, talking about alternate universes, but Dream had witnessed his own Karl travel back in time just to ensure that he failed sometimes. Ranboo and Tubbo had descended from the cliff at some point, and Ranboo separated from his partner to stalk towards Karl.    
  
Smartly, the time traveller backed himself away from the dual hybrid, and right into the hands of someone else. Almost giving himself whiplash, Dream looked back to see his own Karl standing there, gripping the alternate!Karl's hoodie tight within his grasp.

The man raised him from the ground with a growl, “Who are you, fucking imposter.” Alternate!Karl clawed at his throat and tried to look for a way out. He met Dream’s eyes with a desperate look, causing the demon to freeze. He most definitely hadn’t expected the day to turn out like this. 

Launching himself forward, he leapt for Karl just at the same time Ranboo had lunged for the alternate figure. Together, they all collided against the Karls, and slammed them into the swirling portal. Both Karls’ screams echoed through the area as the portal overflowed with energy.    
  
White inflamed everyone’s vision before it all faded to black. Dream shook himself out, used to not being able to see for days on end. Huffing, he messed with the mask on his face and opened his eyes reluctantly.    
  
This was not his home. A wide crater spread out before him, coated with glass and filled with vines that reeked of death and looked like blood was growing from every crevice. The sky however, scared him the most. 

Instead of the familiar blue, usually filled with the sun, there was pure blinding light. Feeling around himself at the grass, he realized no one was within a good radius of him. Just over the curve of a hill though, he could see a smattering of blonde hair.    
  
Heaving himself up, he walked towards the blonde and his stomach twisted painfully. Silent to a fault, he watched from behind as the boy stumbled awake and blinked the light from his eyes.    
  
The boy finally turned to face him, and Dream was met with dead, cobalt eyes staring into his mask. 

And then the boy screamed, in which Dream returned with a scream of his own. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Who would you all like to see interacting after a little bit of world building?


	3. Don’t Put Your Blame on Me

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tommy meets a figure that he can't quite get over. 
> 
> Alternate!Dream doesn't quite get the exact area he's been placed in
> 
> Ranboo just wants to make sure Tubbo and Michael are safe.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Title from Human by Rag’N’Bone Man

Silence fell upon the area as the screams subsided. Wind whistled through the area, whipping both figures' outfits into a frenzy. Tommy clutched desperately at his neckerchief while the Dream Poser gripped at his fur lined cloak. Huffing, Tommy turned to look at him once more, “How the hell did you get out of prison?”

The “Poser” hissed, his own voice filling with a tone of venom, “How did you? You were supposed to be stuck in the nether, fighting through legions of piglins.” That seemed to catch Tommy off guard, he stumbled back from the man’s finger, which had darted forward to point at him. 

Pale hands were thrown in the air as Tommy screeched again, “Me!? In prison!? Don’t be a fucking comedian now you psychopath. Acting like you’ve forgotten that you were thrown in Pandora’s Vault because suddenly we’ve moved places? Let me get a good laugh out now.” 

Blue flared in his vision again as the “poser” turned around and trudged to the top of the hill, overlooking something. Venom flared within Tommy again at the idea that the man could’ve been ignoring him. He hit his face gently a couple times before following the man, something gnawing at him in the back of his mind. 

Guilt and fear filled Tommy’s throat as he saw what the man was looking at. There was the ruins of New L’Manberg, covered to the brim with bloodvines from the disgusting egg. But that didn’t make sense at all, because he knew that he had been nowhere near the crater when he had woken up. 

Dread filled his throat as he stared towards the Dream Poser. It seemed the figure knew he was staring as he began to speak, “You aren’t the Tommy I know, just like the Karl I had just seen wasn’t the one I knew either. Tell me, Tommy, what’s the Karl you know like.”    
  
Trying to distract himself, Tommy sniffed, “A bit eccentric, always reading or laughing with his fiancees. I only learned recently he was engaged to Quackity and Sapnap,” the figure flinched at the mention of Sapnap so he remembered to slot that away later, “He was always quite distant, making remarks that would contradict themselves all the time. Always claims he was on Pogtopia’s side in the war against Manberg though I remember differently.”

There was a small laugh from the blue dressed figure as he looked over the ruins. He looked back towards Tommy with a resentful sigh, “Your Karl is so much tamer than mine. Mine’s a time traveling terror, working on the side that shouldn’t exactly have been let loose on the SMP I was part of. You know, the Tommy I know actually was part of the problem. Like an actual problem.”   
  
Tommy took a step back, staring at the figure who was being brushed softly by the singed grass that never had recovered from the blasts and the withers. Looking up at him, he watched the man shift the mask upon his face to the side, revealing softer edges and more scars than the Dream he knew, “I’m sorry to say this, Tommy, but I think we’ve been displaced from Alternate Universes.”   
  
With that, Tommy breathed out in such a dramatic manner, he was brought back to Logsteadshire. The world seemed to warp with him, and suddenly he was face to face with the shaved log compound that filled his nightmares. Stumbling back, Tommy tried to escape, before being caught by two warm hands. 

The poser stared into his face, but Tommy could only see the Dream he feared, the one that sent him into panic attacks at even the slightest inflection of anger in his voice. “Let go,” his voice was quiet, almost a whisper in the whipping wind as he tore his face from the poser’s, “please.”

Hands peeled themselves off of his arms, letting him slump in a limp pile on the ground. The cold grass pressed against his limbs and the word warped once more. This time, they were back at the crater of New L’Manberg, and Tommy had to release the breath he hadn’t even known he was holding. 

His body instinctively shivered as a cold wind blew over the area, bringing the smell of the decaying blood vines with it. Something warm was placed around his shoulders, and he looked up to be met with that softer face again. The poser sighed and leaned against the scorched stump of the L’Man Tree. “Something tells me that you have issues with me in your Universe,” there was no room for debate in his tone, it was just him re-affirming a thought he had outloud. 

Tommy looked at the ground, “But you’re not the Dream I know. So I’m gonna call you something else. How do you feel about the nickname ‘Lucid.” Lucid hummed in agreement, flicking his fingers against the stump of the tree. 

Grinning up at Lucid, Tommy gripped the cloak softly and stumbled to a stand. There was a soft grin in response from the man, who just ruffled his hair softly before kicking off of the stump, “If you and I were thrown here randomly, we should look and see if anyone else is displaced.” His feet were quiet against the grass, only a small crunch echoing from it. Tommy loosely followed him, keeping his eyes and ears out for any sounds that could come from a person.

They walked for a while, passing through places Tommy could recognize at the drop of a pin and some that he couldn’t recognize but saw Lucid flinch at, so he just stayed silent. When they arrived near what Tommy registered as Snowchester, Tommy paused. There was a low humming coming from Tubbo’s abode in the small community.

Making a small shushing motion, Tommy motioned for Lucid to follow quietly after him. The snow was light beneath their feet, making no noise as they wandered towards the figure curled up in front of the house. Dual tails whipped outwards, coated in snow and dappled burns down the skin of the tails. 

Tommy heard Lucid inhale sharply and breath out a fearful, “Ranboo.” Licking his lips nervously, Tommy huffed. It seemed that Lucid’s Ranboo was pretty bad, so they would have to test the waters for if it was the sweet but anxious Ranboo he knew, or the supposed terror that Lucid knew. 

There was a small sniffling from the figure as he clutched tightly at something within his grasp. Inching, Tommy noticed it was a grass block, probably to comfort the dual hybrid. There, sitting on the grass were two flowers, an allium and a pink tulip. Tears dripped from the hybrid’s face and onto the petals of the flowers. 

Something died within Tommy as he watched his friend cry over the flowers. He remembered the allium that Ranboo had given him, that first time they had truly interacted in the Nether. This was the Ranboo that he knew. 

Moving forward, he just dodged out of Lucid’s nervous grasp, and kneeled beside Ranboo’s prone form. The Enderman hybrid’s head shot up, showing the etching scars from his tears. He cried out, a small noise echoing from his throat. Tommy only nodded in response, letting the hybrid know he was there, “Hey, big man.”

Ranboo sniffled again, rubbing his suit sleeve against his nose, “Tommy, how are you out?” Lucid hovered nervously behind Tommy, cluing himself in that this was not the Ranboo he was terrified of. Shrugging off the presence, Tommy gave the older boy a cocky grin, “I’m just built different.”   
  
That got a sharp chuckle from Ranboo before the man shook his head, “I don’t know what happened, I was just working on the uh,” he paused with a look towards Tommy. A puzzled look appeared on his face as he debated continuing his train of thought, “Me and Tubbo built another hotel, we’re callin it the Bee’n’Boo. So when I passed out I expected to wake up just with him on the scaffolding.”   
  
Ranboo’s gaze turned towards the windows at the top of Tubbo’s place, “But instead I woke up here. I came outside and everything just felt so off. So I grabbed for the first grass I saw, but when I was reaching for it, it changed into this,” he nodded towards the grass decorated with the allium and the pink tulip, “and the tulip made me think of Tubbo, and then I looked at the allium and thought of you so I started crying.” 

Tommy grimaced, slotting the Bee’n’Boo claim for later inquiry, maybe when they had found Tubbo. Shaking his head, he huffed in feigned annoyance, “Well big man, I was smart enough to figure out what’s happening. With the help of Lucid of course.” He watched with amusement as Ranboo’s face morphed to try and remember someone named Lucid.    
  
Comfortingly, Lucid leaned down beside Tommy, “Hello, I’m Lucid.” Well, that didn’t seem to be the right move in retrospect. 

Ranboo stumbled back, dropping the block and trying to escape Lucid’s grasp. Remembering what Dream had done to most of the minors on the server, Tommy winced. He should’ve thought of that a bit more. “Ranboo! Ranboo! It’s not Dream, well. Not our Dream!”   
  
There was a trembling little ‘vwoop!’ from Ranboo as he shivered, “What do you mean, ‘not our Dream!’ That’s just Dream with a palette change.” Tommy groaned, forgetting how sharp-tongued Ranboo got when annoyed or scared. Rubbing his hands against his face, Tommy sighed, “Alternate Universes, Ranboo. He’s from an Alternate Universe.”   
  
He knew Ranboo got what he meant the moment the shivering paused. There was a small hum coming back from the teen hybrid, which elicited Tommy to resist a small laugh. Ranboo seemed to internalize the statement for a breath longer before he sighed, “Mmmm, say I believe you,” that was a start, “then why were we brought here.”   
  
Tommy groaned again. Damn Ranboo and his curious mind. Huffing, Tommy ran an angry hand through his hair, “We can’t answer that Big man, me n Big L just woke up and started looking for other people.”    
  


With a sigh of relief, Tommy watched as the taut reflexes of the hybrid slowly loosened and unwound, ending with the dual tails of the taller hybrid unraveling from his legs. “Fine,” Ranboo conceded shortly, “I believe you. I believed you at first I just felt like being a little bit annoying.”    
  
Tommy hissed lowly, his wings flaring out, “Come over here you fucking bitch!” That elicited a laugh from Ranboo who stood and ran off, Tommy lifting off the ground and flying towards him at a quick pace. Lucid watched loosely from the side, unused to seeing those faces having this kind of innocent fun.   
  
This went on for about an hour and a half before Tommy finally tired himself out. Looking up, he saw Ranboo reaching out for him and gripped his hand tight while being pulled up, “Nice to see you again, Big R.” Ranboo only shook his head and chuckled, “Just no arson this time.” 

The two walked towards Lucid, who only chuckled at the happier expressions on their faces, “Pleasure to meet this version of you, Ranboo. As I said before, I’m Lucid to you two.” Ranboo, nodded with a conceding head dip, “Nice to meet you, Lucid. Sorry for freaking out.”    
  


There was a dismissive wave from Lucid who only chuckled again, “We should probably get moving. Don’t wanna get caught off guard by anyone, y’know.” Just as Lucid finished speaking, there was a loud cry from the bushes behind him, and something painful collided with his spine. 

Lucid wheezed as Tommy let out a large cackle before his voice gained in octave, “Tubbo! My main bro you can’t just headbutt people!” So that was what hit him, the alternate Tubbo’s horns smashing against his spine. That would take a while to feel better, but he could walk it off.

Tubbo whined as he ran off to stand by Tommy and Ranboo, “But it’s Dream!” Someone chuckled from within the bushes, causing Tommy to shoot up in fear. From within the woods stepped a smiling, lightly dressed Wilbur Soot. His voice was lighter, happier than Tommy had ever heard him before his last moments, “Tubbo, I told you to be careful. That’s not the Dream you know.”   
  
Tommy listened to Lucid groan in annoyed fondness from beside him. So that meant this was Wilbur from Lucid’s universe. He looked curiously at Lucid, “Yo, Lucid, you know him?”    
  
Lucid rubbed his hands against themselves, “Yea, that’s the Wilbur from my place. I would just call him Soot if I were you.” Soot chuckled from the side, leaning against Lucid, “Aww, they call you Lucid? How sweet.” 

Tubbo stared at Soot in annoyance, “But you said that you heard people being mean! So I thought it was Dream being mean to Tommy and Ranboo again. Can’t let him get away with it on my watch.” 

Tommy and Ranboo shared a look before Ranboo spoke, “Tubbo, me and Tommy were just joking around and Lucid was introducing himself to me.” Tubbo’s eyes lit up at the sight of Tommy and Ranboo together, “oooo! Alright!” 

Soot chuckled again, looking towards Lucid, “How bad did you panic when you saw this Ranboo?” Lucid hissed and tugged Soot’s beanie down over his face. That only elicited another chuckle from Soot but was cut off by a slow clapping. 

Lucid knew that clapping, and it turned his blood to ice as he turned to look towards the other houses in Snowchester.    
  


From within one house, the figure he hadn’t wanted to encounter yet stepped out. It was the Ranboo from the Sleepy SMP, with both of his broken horns and his shattered crown. 

“I’d hope quite a lot, because I know what I’ve done to your dear ‘Lucid.”

Lucid’s head swirled, vision blanketing with darkness and his body tipped sideways. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next chapter: Confrontation between Alternate!Ranboo and Tommy's squad


	4. Redesign Your Logo

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> An Entrance
> 
> A Fight
> 
> A Promise

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> :)
> 
> Lucid: Alternate!Dream
> 
> Soot: Alternate!Wilbur

Well, that wasn’t the reaction he had quite wanted to provoke from Dream. Or should he refer to him as Lucid? It would make things a bit easier, considering, well, he could think of that later. Letting a small giggle escape his lips, he pressed a clawed hand to his uncovered mouth. Staring him down was quite frankly the most mixed group he could ever think of.   
  
His own dear Lucid, a version of Tommy (who quite frankly seemed quite similar to his own), Soot, a version of Tubbo (way less intimidating than his usual partner, but if necessary to survive he could scrape by), and would you look at that. A version of himself, just like he was before he had made a name for himself.   
  
The sniveling, shaking figure was staring up at him with terrified heterochromatic eyes. Cracking his jaw, he let it unhinge in a paralyzing cackle, watching most of the teens jump in fear while Soot just crossed his arms in annoyance. The nuisance of an older man was not quite as fun as he used to be. 

Soot huffed, “Well, I can’t quite think of a fitting nickname for you. Can’t use your surname, I am not making anybody call you ‘Beloved.’ So we’ll just go with physical traits. Ender.”   
  
Ender smirked, raising his white eyebrow with a small crackling sound, “Ender...I like the sound of it. Fine, call me Ender.” Carefully, he leapt from the railings he had been standing on, landing with a soft crunch of the snow. While he preferred to have the higher ground in a battle, he needed to get Lucid before the others could recover. 

The cold seeped into his bare feet, but he didn’t mind. Stalking towards the prone figure of Lucid, he was met with a shield barred within his face. Soot’s dark eyes glowed dangerously, the small gills on the man’s neck fluttering in challenge. His voice was taut as he spoke a simple command, “Back. Off.”   
  
For a moment, Ender hesitated, his mind melting to listen to the man’s command. Then, it hit him what Soot was doing. Dastardly man, using his Siren’s speak against him, “Well that isn’t fun now, Soot. Can’t we do this without mysterious powers?” Soot didn’t flinch at the resistance of the command, he must’ve not had much backing on it in hopes it worked. 

When Soot didn’t back off, even with a failed Siren command, Ender hissed and reared back. This was not going his way. A small hum came from his belt as he unsheathed his sword, “If my hands have to get dirty, then so be it.” With that, his feet lifted off the ground and towards the damaged shield before him.

  
Soot swung his shield towards Ender, unsheathing his own battle axe and heaving it above his head. Slamming it downwards, Ender dodged to the side, feeling the wind whistle past his left arm. Landing with a wheeze, Ender dropped his sword. Hand to hand was probably his best bet in this fight.   
  
Baring his claws, Ender lunged towards Soot, who swung his axe forth once more. Ender was forced to leap back to his starting position and analyze the situation. The younger hybrids were still stunned in a sense, trying to defuse their brains from Ender’s cackle. Only one of the hybrids was aware of what was going on, his other self.   
  
Ranboo was humming to the other two in a comforting manner, balancing out the paralysis Ender had brought upon them. That wouldn’t bode well either, if Ranboo was left free to defuse all of Ender’s hard work. After he got ahold of Lucid, he could try going for the quieter version of himself. 

Shaking his head, he lashed his tails and dodged a lunging attack from Soot. Pain shot through his foot as he watched Soot twist mid-attack and swipe his axe right to the bottom of Ender’s right foot. When he landed again, the frozen liquid beneath seeped into his gash, melting as it did. The pain increased, but Ender had to keep his wails down. He had to stay strong.    
  


“What happened to you, Ender? You and Tubbo used to be so happy, just like the rest of us!” Soot’s voice echoed through the quiet snow, gripping his mind tight. Such a claim, that disgusting poet made. Ender couldn’t remember being happy, all he could remember was fighting for his life in Bedwars and Skywars tournaments, trying to survive in a world against him. 

Sappy remembrance wouldn’t work on Ender, he wouldn’t let it, “Happiness is a social construct, Soot. You should’ve learned that long ago,” with that, he lunged towards Soot’s ankle and tipped him over. Glee flooded through his eyes as he watched the taller man tumble. The collision with the ice sounded painful, and Soot’s eyes rolled back into his head soon after.    
  
Rolling his shoulders, he let out a dull laugh, “You always were too much like your father.” Now, his attention was fully on the prone form of Lucid, unguarded and perfect for the snatching. Taking his sword back out, he wandered towards the blue-cloaked dreamon, and reached for him.   
  
Crowing in pain, Ender whipped his wrist back to his chest and looked at the axe that had just been slashed into him. Bright blood seeped through his fingers, staining his claws as he was met face to face with a frantic eyed Ranboo. The mirror image of himself stood huffing, the shimmering netherite axe in his hand dappled with Ender’s blood. 

Something dark flashed through Ranboo’s eyes for the briefest moment, a smile appearing sickly in his eyes, causing Ender to shuffle back. Ender knew that he was in complete control of his own body, he had been from the moment Tubbo had pulled him from Hypixel’s darkest servers. This Ranboo though, had never had anyone to truly pull him from what he had seen. 

That meant that the Dream of Ranboo’s reality played off of those insecurities and trauma. Ranboo straightened his body, the 8’5” figure towering over Ender’s own 7’4” form. Both were formidably tall, but Ender had stunted his own growth while under the care of the former Antarctic Empire. 

The smile flickered onto Ranboo’s face one last time before he hissed out a small, “Don’t touch him, you can’t.” There was a small tremble in Ranboo’s frame that Ender picked up on, as if the teen wasn’t entirely in control of his own actions. Ender purred pleasantly to himself, he could work with this, “Oh but are you sure? Cause isn’t he just another version of Dream?”   
  
Ranboo tried to steady himself, Ender could tell from the change of breathing. So what if he was playing dirty, he wasn’t supposed to know that Dream was Ranboo’s abuser. There was a small snarl from the figure before him, causing Ender to chuckle in amusement. Ranboo’s tails lashed behind him, twisting in a dance of annoyance and menace, “Tommy trusts him. He says he’s different, so if it helps I’ll protect him.”   
  
Cooing mockingly, Ender let out a sickly sweet hum, “But what if he wasn’t? What if I told you what he had truly done to those on my- I mean in my home universe?” A small flinch came from Ranboo as his ears flicked towards Ender in interest. Hopeful, Ender inched forward, maybe it wouldn’t be too hard to sway this world’s versions of him and Tubbo to his side. 

Carefully, he shot a hand towards Lucid but was met instead with a slash against the back of his hand. Winding back, he stared at claw marks that trailed up to his suit’s sleeve. Looking back at Ranboo with wide eyes, Ender breathed out a low hiss.   
  
Ranboo twirled his axe nervously as two figures waltzed towards the two arguing hybrids. “I shouldn’t listen to you, you’re just a hypocrite wearing my skin. Choosing sides, almost calling the SMP you live on ‘your server,” Ender flinched, so he had caught onto that. The war-torn hybrid wasn’t used to people reading him, he wanted to be on the other side, reading people instead. 

Tommy’s hand fell flat on Ranboo’s shoulder as Ender was caught by his gaze. Darn that stupid gorgon-like gaze his other half had. He stuttered, trying to escape the gaze of the mirror image, “I-I-I’m not! I’m not a hypocrite! I chose Tubbo! My Tubbo!” his nails dug into his skin as he tried to free himself.

Something collided once with his head and he choked out, “My Tubbo chose me too, chose me over his family!” Once more, the hard object hit him in the head. Just as the darkness swam in the sides of his vision, he registered what that object was. The hooves of a moobloom, Tubbo was hitting his head.   
  
Why was Tubbo hitting his head? Didn’t they promise to never hurt each other? He could hear Tubbo’s voice in his head, happily ruffling his hair. The scarred boy had sat beside him and uttered,  _ “You, me, and Tommy. Together we’re gonna take over the world, and don’t you doubt it! I promise, even if I’m mind controlled that I’ll never hurt you or Tommy!”  _ Did that mean nothing to the shorter hybrid?

  
Tears slipped from his eyes and sizzled on his skin as his head tipped to the side.    
  
The last thing he heard was Ranboo whispering, “Sides are sides, even self-created.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And so, we get a little backstory on Ender! 
> 
> Did you guys like how he was characterized so far?


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